The start of PressCise was the lack of control in the pressure given by existing compression products.

Ancient Problem

To use compression bandage as a medical treatment is an old occurrence, the ancient Greeks used it and the mural painting in the Tassili caves in Sahara dating back to 5000-2500 B.C. are showing a person in bandage. However, little has changed with the way to apply a bandage from those ancient times till now.

The pressure given by a bandage has been and is still in the hands of the person applying. The pressure applied has been investigated in several studies where experienced nurses have participated. The results from these are clear: it’s next to impossible to achieve a specific pressure and the damage can be irreparable for the patient.

Compression bandages are used on patients with e.g. venous and/or arterial insufficiency. A correct sub-bandage pressure is crucial to give an efficient treatment without reducing blood flow which, in worst case, can lead to amputation.

Our goal is that every compression treatment should be controlled; in the same way syringes gives exact dosage when giving intravenous therapy, external venous treatment should be quantifiable. This means that the sub-bandage pressure needs to be programmed into the bandage material.

PressCise Strategy

Our bandage is the result of a collaboration between a mathematician, a surgeon and a textile developer. The surgeon, Dr. Erney Mattsson, saw an unsolved problem with the bandage he used in his practice and the mathematician, Prof. Torbjörn Lundh, solved the problem with a mathematical formula. The mathematical formula was handed over to Josefin Damm who interpreted it into a textile.

Our textile material originates from the mathematical theory of law of Laplace. When using this in the concept of sub-bandage pressure, it tells us that the pressure is a result of the number of overlaps, the force used when bandaging, and the curvature of the leg. Each overlap adds pressure and a higher force will increase the pressure. The curvature is the factor that makes it complicated; on a smaller leg the curvature is sharper and therefore a smaller force is needed to achieve same pressure as on the curvature of a thicker leg. This means that the pressure on the ankle will be higher than on the calf if same force and overlap is used. Our bandage has taken all these factors into consideration in order to fulfil the goal of controlled compression therapy for everyone.

An optimal bandage has to work with the three factors influencing the sub-bandage pressure, the elastic properties of the textile material have to be correct and precise. The perfect material would make the factors of force and curvature work together; if a smaller force is used on a smaller circumference and a higher force is used on a bigger circumference the resulting pressure on the leg would be same for all circumferences. Moreover, with visual guides on the bandage; the overlap and force can be controlled. The conclusion was that a material with visual guides together with specific elastic properties would make the force and the curvature neutralize each other resulting in a uniform, precise pressure.

As there was no existing textile material with correct elastic properties, extensive product development was made in order to get a product that achieved our goal of precise compression treatment for any sized leg.

Resulting Product

The knitted textile construction that makes Lundatex® medical bandage has very specific properties. Further, visual guides on the bandage are controlling the overlap and the force used during application. This results in a bandage with a mathematical formula built into the textile material. With this we can guarantee that a precise pressure is given to a leg; independent of applier, size and shape of leg, and if the leg is in resting position or active. It is truly a smart bandage!

Another important result from using Lundatex® medical bandage is that with the even, uniform pressure, comes better comfort. This, in turn, will make the patient more prone to keep the bandage on. The result is thereby a higher compliance – an important factor for better compression treatment.

Lundatex® medical is the result of an interdisciplinary collaboration; medicine, mathematics and textile development. The warp knitted textile that the bandage is made of has the elastic properties and visual guides to give anyone the confidence to apply a bandage on anyone. As long as you follow the guides on the bandage, anyone – be it a nurse or a relative – can give controlled compression therapy to a leg in any size.